Mr. Mayer wanted to fill in what he called “the center of the doughnut” on the second floor — acres of abandoned desks once occupied by more than 100 workers in the payroll, classified and advertising departments.

Those jobs have largely disappeared in recent years from The Globe, which is owned by The New York Times Company, and Mr. Mayer faces a situation familiar to many publishers around the country as their staffs shrink. While most newspapers lack cash, employees and a clear strategy for finding greater profits in the digital age, they do not lack for office space. Mr. Mayer embarked on a search for creative ways to use that space. As a result, The Globe has turned its empty offices into a public community space, bringing in start-up technology companies, bands visiting to perform for the company’s Internet station RadioBDC and special events like the programming code marathon it held for technology enthusiasts. The projects occupy what looks like a re-created living room, where a colorful mix of young entrepreneurs, gray-haired journalists and bands with names like the Street Dogs and Animal Kingdom pass through. Steps away, Globe reporters and editors pore over articles.

“You don’t want to underutilize an asset,” Mr. Mayer said in an interview in his roomy office. “I have a building here that we can use for a variety of things. Bringing bands in, bringing events here, it reminds us and folks in the community what we do.” While it is unclear how much revenue these new ventures will bring in, he said the new relationships help energize the workplace. It also helps the readers The Globe is trying to retain feel more engaged and connected with the newspaper.

The Globe is not the only newspaper to make creative use of empty space. Newspapers have been converting their old printing plants for decades, like the former Daily News plant in Brooklyn that was turned into condominiums.

The Los Angeles Times has signed long-term leases for office space with companies like the Los Angeles City Employees’ Retirement System and VXI Global Solutions, an information technology company.

The Los Angeles Times has also sought out more glamorous options. Over the last several years its has rented its offices for use in the films “Argo,” “Moneyball,” “Frost/Nixon,” “Dreamgirls” and “The Soloist.” Hillary Manning, a spokeswoman for the newspaper, said it was part of a strategy “to maximize the value of our real estate assets and diversify our revenue streams to best support The Times’s core journalistic mission.”

At The Globe, Mr. Mayer has followed The Los Angeles Times’s example and rented some space to a production crew filming a television pilot.

Other industries also have sought ways to use empty space, especially since the recession began. Airports are trying to turn abandoned terminals into office space. The Chicago Merchandise Mart, once occupied mostly by the furniture and fabric industries, is now trying to attract more technology companies. Even churches have advertised their extra space, offering local groups a meeting place.

The Globe moved in its digital team to the unused space about 18 months ago, then invited technology companies to occupy the empty desks. On a recent morning, flocks of scruffily dressed young entrepreneurs crouched before computer screens. Above them hung outdated LED screens that used to tell workers in the classified department how many calls waited to be answered.

Jeff Moriarty, The Globe’s vice president for digital products, strolled through the space and rattled off the names of the dozen start-ups that have passed through, like Supermechanical, a start-up that makes wireless sensors that connect to the Web. The Globe is also lending space to TapWalk, which builds apps for performance stages and large events like universities and music festivals.

Article source: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/21/business/media/newspapers-with-extra-space-look-for-boarders.html?partner=rss&emc=rss